one of the answer was that the next mag should
come out in august.
While our proposed schedule does specify for an August
edition of the magazine in future, we didn't want to sprint
our first numbered issue the way we did on 0.
ginger has created a wiki page
bug that page has not (afaik) lead to an issue of the
magazine. and no magazine has been created in august.
The wiki states that the first numbered issue, 1.1 will come
out in November (with the theme First Encounters/Taking
Flight), just in time for it to be present at a number of
different events (including FOSSASIA, HTMlles in Montreal,
where I'll be distributing copies, and others). That means
so far, we're on schedule.
For avoidance of doubt, an outline of the production cycle
on which we're working is below.
Production Cycle
Each issue of the magazine is produced on a twelve week
production cycle. The weeks are occupied as follows:
Week1:
Editorial team decides on a theme and writes a theming
document which eventually becomes both a call for
submissions and the Letter from the Editor for that issue.
week2:
Regular columnists are informed of the theme and invited
to begin working on briefs for their columns, which are due
week four. The columns themselves are due later.
A brainstorming session is held to discuss what the
major feature(s) for the issue will be (if the theme has not
already made that evident) and who should be interviewed or
profiled. Specific contributors are sought to complete these
pieces.
week 3:
A call for submissions, detailing the theme of the
issue, is sent out across various lists. Deadline for
submissions is week 7, after which the editorial team will
work with potential contributors to improve their content,
if necessary.
week4:
Briefs from columnists are due. The editorial team reads
and discusses the briefs, providing feedback to columnists.
On approval, the columnists are asked to write their
proposed columns, within their normal word count. The
columns are due week 8.
week5:
With columns, features and profiles decided and
underway, sponsors are sought for the issue.
week6:
The creative team, if they have not begun already,
solidify the look of the issue, which is in line with but
not slave to the normal style of the magazine. They then
present their vision to the rest of the editorial team for
discussion.
week7:
With all submissions in, the editorial team review them
and choose which to pursue for the current issue. With this
decision in hand, they inform submittors of the outcome and
begin working to help revise (as necessary) the accepted
submissions. (NOTE: Necessarily, as the magazine progresses
in its life, the means of getting articles and art will
necessarily change. There will still be open calls, but
perhaps not as high a percentage of content will need to be
filled through those calls, as a large stable of
contributors builds up. This could lead to other exciting
uses of the open call format such as the student design,
photography, type, etc. annuals that many design magazines
put out.)
week8:
Columns are in. They pass through the editorial process,
so that all revisions may be finished and the columns
completely ready by week 9.
week9:
All columns, articles, features, profiles and art should
have passed through the editorial process and be ready. The
editorial team discusses the structure and flow of the
issue. All content is handed over to the creative team so
that layout may begin.
week11:
Layout of magazine is finished. Editorial team goes over
the complete product one last time to look for any surviving
errors. With this done, the magazine is sent to the
printers, wherever they may be and however the distributed
printing process works.
week12:
The magazine is printed and ready for distribution. The
core team has one week to relax before the next production
cycle begins.
